COVID-19: Gram panchayats ban entry of cold drinks, ice creams

FMCG manufacturers were betting on the speedy recovery of the rural economy after the first wave of Covid-19.

Gram panchayats in several villages across the country have banned the sale of cold drinks and ice creams, keeping in view the spike in Covid-19 cases and deaths amid the pandemic. 

In some part of the country, these apex rural bodies have also barred the entry of outsiders until the situation gets normal. Currently, India is gripped with the second wave of Covid-19, which is way scarier and deadlier than the first one. 

As a result, villagers are striving to protect themselves from the wrath of Covid-19 by placing sops for outsiders. However, there’s no scientific relation between the spread of Covid-19 and soft drinks/ ice creams. 

It is usually the elders of the village that have reportedly reflected issues with the sale of cold items. FMCG makers are facing difficulties in cracking this hoax. In some villages, even the sale of ‘srikhand’ has been banned by the authorities.  

Meanwhile, in many villages, shops are reportedly only open from 7 Am to 9 PM, leading to a fall in sales of FMCG goods. Gram Panchayats have imposed a Rs 500 fine if anyone is seen flouting the rules. 

The fear among villagers is quite normal, considering the fact that the first Covid-19 wave impacted mostly cities. But this time, the coronavirus is severely infecting people living in the villages. 

With no proper healthcare infrastructure at many places, it is advisable to place restrictions on movement to break the chain, because prevention is better than cure. 

However, for FMCG makers, this might emerge as a serious problem at some point. The firms were betting on the speedy recovery of the rural economy after the first wave of Covid-19. Local suppliers are already facing the heat, as they are unable to sell their stocks with the restrictions set in place.